Consequences - One Shot - Yellowfang's POV
by Infinite Rex
Summary: Irresponsibility brings upon disastrous consequences that effect not only the lives of those at fault, but those of future generations. These chains can then rupture the balance of civilization, and sooner or later, the ones responsible will have to make amends for their crimes- the question is, just how painful will it be?


"Lie still, Brokentail. You have lost another life." Yellowfang was looming over the battered, bloody rouge, meowing encouragement in hushed, mild whispers. Her patient was Brokentail- the treacherous ex-leader of ShadowClan. The beaten cat was lying in the soft bedding, snarling and hurling insults at his nurse. Yellowfang regarded him with blank eyes. Gently, she touched his shoulder with a forepaw. "You're going to be fine."

"What do you mean?" Brokentail hissed, slapping her away. His snarl was weak, drained from loss of blood. Sightless dark eyes burned into Yellowfang's pelt. "If I've got another life, why do my wounds still hurt?"

"StarClan have healed the wounds that killed you," Yellowfang explained, softly. "The others need the skill of a medicine cat."

"Then what are you waiting for, you scrawny old pest?" snarled Brokentail. His words dripped like acid, and stung Yellowfang like nettles. She gazed at him in silence for a moment, heartbroken.

 _How could he have fallen so far?_

"Quit gawking, flea-bag." Brokentail's tail lashed. "Give me something for this pain."

Yellowfang's eyes narrowed fiercely. Her heart was thumping, pounding uncontrollably. It took all of her strength to resist wailing like a kit. She knew what needed to be done; it would be hard, so hard, but she had no choice. Silently, she reached for a pile of bright red berries, and dragged them over, in front of Brokentail.

"Here. Eat these, and the pain will go away for good."

Brokentail gave a disdainful sniff. He reached with a forepaw and blindly groped for the berries. He began cursing when he couldn't locate them. Shakily, Yellowfang extended a paw and directed him to the pile of berries. The dark warrior scooped them up and began chewing.

Yellowfang gaped with shock. _What have I done?_ Her legs began wobbling beneath her. It took all her strength to resist lashing out and plucking the berries from her patient; for those berries were deathberries, the most poisonous known to the Clans. They were so deadly, a single bite could kill a full-grown warrior. Yellowfang struggled to regain control of her emotions. _It needed to be done_ , she told herself incredulously. _It needed to be done and you know that. He can't live anymore. Needed to be done, needed to be done..._ Forcing her meow to remain steady, she began speaking again.

"You and my Clan cast me out and I came here," she rasped. "I was a prisoner, just like you. But ThunderClan treated me well, and eventually they trusted me enough to be their medicine cat. You could have earned their trust too, Brokentail. But now... will any cat ever trust you ever again?"

Brokentail let out a contemptuous hiss. "Do you think I care?"

"I know you care for nothing, Brokentail," Yellowfang replied, smoothly. Her gentle tone betrayed none of the mixed emotions gnawing at her heart. "Not your Clan, nor your honor, nor you own kin."

"I have no kin." Brokentail spat out the words.

"Wrong. Your kin have been closer than you ever dreamed. I am your mother, Brokentail."

Silence descended over the den. Brokentail remained frozen. A dark ear twitched quizzically. Then a curious rasping noise escaped his throat, like a terrible attempt at laughter. "Spiders have spun webs in your brain, old one," he croaked. "Medicine cats never have kits."

"That's why I had to give you up," Yellowfang replied. "But I never stopped caring- never. When you were a young warrior, I was so proud of you." Her voice dropped to a low snarl. "And then you murdered Raggedstar. Your own father. You killed kits of our Clan, and made me take the blame. You would have destroyed the Clan completely. So now it is time put an end to this treachery."

"An end? What do you mean, you old..." Brokentail tried to rise to his paws, but his legs gave way and he fell heavily onto his side. He gaped, stunned.

"What have you done?" His voice rose to a terrified wail. "I can't... can't feel my paws. Can't breath..."

"I fed you deathberries," Yellowfang replied mildly. She tried to ignore the shocked gasp that escaped his lips, and continued. "I know this is your last life, Brokentail. Medicine cats always know." She leaned in very close to her riving, thrashing child. "Now no cat will ever be hurt again because of you."

Brokentail let out a terrible scream of fury that abruptly cut off to a wheezy, pained choking. The dark warrior rolled onto his belly, groaning, scrabbling at the dirt under his paws, jaws parted in a silent wail. He thrashed pathetically, his chest heaving in a struggle for air. The pain was obvious in his strained movements. It must have been extreme. Yellowfang just watched blankly as her only child struggled in his final moments, and passed effortlessly into the void.

She waited until the last of his twitching had subsided. Then, stiffly, the old cat bent and pressed her nose into her son's sodden black fur.

"Somehow, I always managed to forgive you," she told him in a voice thick with grief. "I understood all the hardships you endured. Not for a moment did I blame you for what you did. I thought they were the actions of a mistreated and angry kit. I always forgave you, even after you murdered Raggedstar."

A low, dark snarl escaped her cracked lips.

"...But then, you sent your warriors to kidnap ThunderClan kits, and because of that, kind Spottedleaf was murdered. And it was then, son, that I realized just how evil you were. When I saw her corpse lying in the rain, I finally understood. And I can't forgive you anymore, Brokentail. I am sorry, but I just can't."

She dropped her head effortlessly as the sobbing began, and allowed countless seasons of pain, and anger and struggle to come cascading from her soul, allowed it all to seep away as she wept bitterly for what was lost, what had never been, all the hopes and dreams she had for herself, and her mate and her kit, she allowed it all to seep away in a hopeless, heart-aching wail.

It was gone. Everything- it was all gone.

 _Good riddance_.


End file.
